Stopped by the new shop in East Liberty today to check it out. Good selection and prices that compete with nashbar. Wondering if anyone has anything good/bad to say about this company?
Performance Bike
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i was thinking about applying for a job there but decided to wait for the second round of hiring to see what the store was like, haven't stopped in yet.
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97% sure Performance owns Nashbar.
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I'm 99% sure they don't own Nashbar, but I believe Nashbar buys out excess Performance private label stuff.
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Performance owns Nashbar.
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Yep, I was wrong.
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97?
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the odds in this thread are staggering.
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I was (overly) confident, but I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong.
I actually looked around and it seems the relationship between Performance and Nashbar is quite complicated. Though that may be because I'm not a business law attorney or really familiar with OH and NC business law.
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I heard somewhere that 65% percent of all statistics that are quoted are completely made up.
I stopped in today, I like it. Good prices, it seems like if you really need some knowlegeable help you kind of have to work your way up the personnel, if you know what I mean, but I can't hold that against them.
It seems like they did some significant local hiring, very commendable. -
In the 90's Nashbar world headquarters were 1:15
away in Ohio. Anything that was returned sat in
a sale bin for like 80% off.
They also had GIANT bins full of shoes and you
could mix and match them for like 5 dollars a shoe
or something crazy.Then once we drove there in like 2000 and it was gone
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So my question is, has bike-pgh given them a pile of maps and commuter guides to give away?
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steevo that's awesome... i wonder where it went, that would be a fun bike trip if its kinda close (doubt it!)
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I heard somewhere that 65% percent of all statistics that are quoted are completely made up.
About two years ago I got a letter from Performance saying that the credit card processor for their Nashbar subsidiary had been hacked and that I should request a new card from my bank. So at that point I was 100% sure. The 3% fudge factor was in case they'd been sold and I hadn't heard about it.
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I had a card that I rarely used for anything, but somehow used with Nashbar many years back. Got a call one day that said there were a bunch of charges on this card (that I hadn't used for a year+). I have no way of knowing, but Nashbar never did send me any notification. I had to read about it afterwards.
Fortunately the CC company was more proactive than Performance/Nashbar, and they stopped all the charges before they went through.
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Last year I got a call and letter from Nashbar telling me their serve had been hacked and five card numbers I had used in the past we all stolen. In return they gave me a 30% coupon.
Although it took me 2 months to sort it all out, I still shop with them occasionally.
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ask the original question again in a few months. Just had the softy opening this friday, grand opening next friday 6/11.....
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I just checked out the store. Basically most everything in the catalog is in the store. A nice variety of bikes (in style and price).
I think the $300 single speeds will be popular with newbies.
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I stopped by the store trying to find the Friday Night Lights group ride (that I didn't realize was as new as the store - which I also didn't realize was new). The guys that work there were all very cool, I hung out for like an hour and a half talking to them and Bruce from the Major Taylor club. While I ended up having to call for a ride home (the headlight I was 90% convinced to buy wasn't charged and the display model didn't have a cord), it was a very good evening anyway, and I look forward to more (though with more riding).
I do prefer going to little local shops rather than a chain, but that's me on the Buy Local bandwagon. They don't sell used bikes, either (another personal quirk of mine).
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I went there looking for panniers today, and the guy working there actually just flat out told me all theirs are sh!t and to go to REI....
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At least they are honest.
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ya the people there are were really helpful, and immediately asking if i needed any help when i walked in the door... on "clearance" the tubes were 2.99, 4.99 regular... ouch
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So, if they have no interest in used bikes, I wonder if there's any chance they could actively direct people with old/unused bikes to FreeRide as they sell them new ones?
Lenk, it sounds like you work there? -
Got my flyer for the grand opening in the mail yesterday. 15% off any one item, including bikes. Hmmm, I may have to check it out after all.
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I checked it out. I was unimpressed overall with the selection, particularly of bikes. There's a lot of empty space in the store, though, that they try to conceal by widening aisles and distributing displays. I wonder if they have not yet fully stocked.
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They only have had their soft opening. soft openings are usually to help employees get first hand experience before advertising that the store is, in fact, open. I wouldn't be surprised if you see a huge difference in inventory levels and type of inventory between this week and the next month or two.
In the past year or so, chain retailers have significantly dropped the amount of inventory they have on hand. Partially because it is sitting on money, but also because they get scheduled deliveries so regularly, that the company can stock a larger variety of items in a centralized warehouse and ship them out to stores on a need basis. This keeps the company from holding certain inventory at certain stores that don't move that type of inventory.
However, with a lot of companies like this, management also has a say in what their specific store carries (besides core product), so they may be trying to feel out the market.
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I also got my "grand opening" flyer in the mail. This weekend they'll give you a $5 gift card for recycling an inner tube, up to three tubes. I don't know if there is a set number or not but it's only Friday-(I think) Sunday.
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I hope I get one of those in the mail to all three addresses that they send me catalogs to... I have a pile of tubes that are way past the point of being of any use.
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There's a number of Performance shops in DC where I used to lived and liked them a lot. Not sure what the Pittsburgh one will be like but they seem to focus a lot more on cycling gear vs. actual bikes. That's ok with me since most shops don't tend to carry much inventory of gear.
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Example of the sort of service you can expect from a place like performance:
I stopped by there today to grab some cliff bars and some cheap tires/tubes for my beater bike. By chance, I grabbed two different tires, one with and one without a kevlar band, two different prices and two different model numbers. If I had gone to a LBS, I can just about guarantee that the person checking me out would have said something. The dude at performance was more than happy to ignore it and take my money.
I'm not upset by any means because it doesn't make a difference to me, but I see this as a pretty good example what you can expect from performance. I'll go there to recycle tubes and buy ultra-cheap parts for my beaters, but not much else, especially when I actually need help with something.
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Been buying stuff from them online for about 5 years. Prices are competitive, items are good quality. Although, never buy their rain jacket with the velcro "zipper". The velcro is stronger than the rest of the material. So the material rips apart, not the velcro "zipper".
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Tomorrow morning another $20 to the first hundred people, also tube exchange all weekend. I don't really get the strategy here but I'm willing to help out.
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Their strategy is simple. Loss leaders (recycled tubes - 20$ cards) will get you in the door and get you thinking about them. for 20% of the people who get those cards or win something or just enjoy the grand opening will come back when they want to buy something expensive. Even if you do like rob and only go there to buy the cheap parts for your beater bike they will make their money back no problem.
I once bought a rack for my bike at REI and since I rode my bike to REI I sat on a bench and tried to install the rack, I ran into a problem with the bolts that mounted the rack to the bike were a little to short to get the rack mounted securely. I went in and talked to the repair guy (mechanic) at REI and he had me bring the bike and rack in and dug thru some spare parts and got the rack mounted in about 10 min. When I asked him how much he just waved his hand and said "I didnt have anything to do anyway" Since then I have always made it a point to stop into REI every chance I get and pick up something, even if it is a tube or cliff bar or something. I have also told this story many times to people I met and friends. so I know for a fact that REI has gotten way more than the cost of couple of bolts and 10 min time.
Just Saying
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all i know is that a granola bar, water bottle, computer, air pump, bib shorts, and jersey for $4.54 is one hell of a deal. i'm going back tomorrow morning too.
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Hmmmm, Well i only went to Performance once and browsed, but the people i always seem to deal with at REI are rude..I asked to get some air once there, and was told since i wasn't a member that i couldn't! Haha. Not to mention their prices, are well, yeah.The clearance stuff is even a little much unless you find a reallyy good deal.Nice place, but it ain't cheap!
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Now the only problem is, trying to explain to someone why you want their old tubes..haha.
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The thing that sets REI apart from other stores, and what lets them have higher prices, is that they enforce a sort of 'price to entry' in regards of quality. When you go to a place that sells cheaper stuff, sure there will be some high-end gems at low prices, but you have to hunt for it. When I shop at REI I know that I don't have to look to hard to find a product that I can trust, and when it comes to riding or camping, trust is important to me.
Stopped by performance again today to swap tires, painless return, won a water bottle, tried to get me to join their club, twice.
Forget team performance, team thick for life!
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I got to talking to one of the salepeople yeasterday while exchanging my old tubes for cash. He mentioned that a big reason he took the job is that the pay is decent AND they have health bennies. That's a plus in my decision making about where to buy, and not just bike stuff. Is the store for everyone? No. But should we be happy to have another store in an otherwise empty storefront? Yes.
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Just Got back from there, seemed like an ok place, about what I expected as far as prices go. I like that it is where I can get to it easily so it has that working for it.
The only thing that sort of got me was I brought in two tubes and got the 5 bucks for each of them (which is think is a really good way of bringing people in) but when I checked out and got my bill the 10 bucks wasnt taken off and when I asked the clerk he tried to convince me that it was taken off. since I only bought a handful of things (total came to just over 20 bucks) I was pretty sure I knew the 10 bucks wasnt taken off. only when a manager got involved did I get things straightened out.
Could be just new employees learning a new system, but make sure you check the receipts.
Also I told one of the clerks that I stopped in because I heard about it on the Bike-Pgh forums and he seemed surprised and asked what people were saying. We had a nice discussion before I went off and browsed.
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I talked to an employee there yesterday who is a lurker (If you see this, join and post) on the board and knew me from the board. We talked a little bit about CM v. FOC and where to get out for longer non-city rides. So, I am pretty sure that the manager there knows we are talking about them.
It seems that all of their employees are happy to be there. To me, that means a lot.
Yea, knowledge is lacking, but you have to consider a lot of them are new
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Got a frame pump, chain whip and handle bar grips, and under the seat bag for $12 with $15 coupons.
Guy tried to pull the "if you don't give us the information you won't be able to make a return" routine too. The guy must be wrong. Receipt = return.
Maybe if you lost your receipt and didn't have any info, then maybe under those circumstances you couldn't make a return.
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I just checked it out today for the first time. I picked up a few things that I knew I needed, at prices that seemed reasonable (or better). Best deal was "buy any floor pump, and get a CO2 tire filler for free." Park Tools had a floor pump on sale for $19.99, so it was hard to beat that deal. Now I have a pump for the house and for the car! Or one to keep and one to lend, is more likely.
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Since I wasnt on the mailing list and wanted to be I was ok giving them my address. but I can understand how this can bother people. Unless I want you to have my information there isnt much you can do to get it out of me.
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i was in there yesterday afternoon, and they asked if i wanted to be on the list before asking me for my information. i declined, and that was that.
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oh, and i went in there today to see if there was a good deal on a bike for my SLF. i remember there being more yesterday, and there wasn't anything good in her price range today. and the fella who helped us out was nice enough, but it was clear that all his learning was of the book variety. i had to fill in a lot of blanks for her.
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